Posted on: Friday, September 21, 2001
Island Voices
Have we forgotten to remember?
By Brig. Gen. Steven J. Redmann
Commander, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting
After last week's tragedy, the whole country is focused on the efforts to find those who are missing from both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
This horrific event has brought our country together, and this week we have another opportunity to show our patriotism and love of this nation — to recognize those who have served their country and many who also are still unaccounted for.
Across our nation today, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed in patriotic, meaningful ceremonies. The purpose is straightforward: Nothing has changed from President Carter's inaugural intent in 1979: honor America's POW/MIAs.
Truth be known, in the hearts and minds of many Americans, past wars continue to remain alive as long as even one of those brave young Americans who disappeared while fighting America's battles remains unaccounted-for. Time alone will not heal the scars. Pain, sadness and acrimony continue to plague this issue.
In spite of this, I'm proud to say our nation is fully committed to the fullest possible accounting. What an incredible tribute to the veterans to whom the world and we Americans owe so much.
Today, the search continues. Backed by nearly 500 personnel from Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Central Identification Laboratory Hawai'i, investigation, recovery and research investigation teams travel to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
The conditions are harsh. The hours are long. The weather can be unbearable. The terrain and jungle environment filled with incurable tropical diseases and unexploded ordnance. And as we learned last April with the tragic crash of the MI-17 helicopter in Vietnam, the mission can be unforgiving: Seven Americans and nine Vietnamese were killed.
Regrettably, time is not on our side. The jungle environment decays the aircraft and remains. Urbanization of countries disturbs and innocently removes remains from their locations. Witnesses age, some have passed away, and others forget the exact details of events 30, 40 or even 50 years ago. But importantly, the unaccounted for are not forgotten. The search continues.
So on this National POW/MIA Recognition Day, I ask you to take a moment or two, pause and reflect on those that fought our nation's wars — and have not returned.
